Ramblings on bookish matters. Horror and fantasy have the lion’s share, but not exclusively. Occasional interviews, art posts and bumblings.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Title spotlight - "Tales of Jack the Ripper" edited by Ross E. Lockhart

“Jack the Ripper. The most notorious unidentified
serial killer of the world. Rivers of ink have and will continue to flow in the
wake of this murderer and the legend behind the mysterious figure will continue
to inspire plenty of non-fiction and fiction books.” This is the introduction I wrote for my review of Sarah Pinborough’s excellent “Mayhem”
and a little over a month after the virtual ink dried on the equally virtual paper
of my review one such title sprang forth. I find nothing wrong with the
situation, after all the mystery of Jack the Ripper fueled plenty of my dreams
ever since I first laid my eyes on his story. Nowadays not as much as in my
childhood years, but it still keeps me very interested in the subject.
Therefore I received with delight the news of an anthology edited by Ross E. Lockhart dedicated to the
notorious, mysterious serial killer, “Tales
of Jack the Ripper”. 125 years after the Whitechapel murders started, Ross E. Lockhart gathers 19 new and classic stories of Jack the Ripper from some of
best writers of dark fiction, including E.
Catherine Tobler, Silvia
Moreno-Garcia, Ramsey Campbell, Joe R. Lansdale, Laird Barron or Joseph S.
Pulver, Sr. Besides the theme and attractive presence of these talented
writers “Tales of Jack the Ripper” comes with other tempting promises for me,
the full satisfaction I had with Ross E. Lockhart’s work at the two “The Book of Cthulhu” anthologies
published by Night Shade Books, the atmospheric and excellent cover artwork
made by Arnaud de Vallois and the
chance to encourage a newly born small press, Word Horde. Even a single one of these features would have been
made me interested in “Tales of Jack the Ripper”, but with all of them together
I can’t wait to put my hands on a copy of Ross E. Lockrat’s new anthology. “Tales
of Jack the Ripper” will be released this fall, but if like me you believe that
date to be a bit too far away please consider grabbing Sarah Pinborough’s “Mayhem”
I already mentioned, it is not about Jack the Ripper but it is set around the
Whitechapel murders and captures perfectly the atmosphere of those Victorian
times.

The story of Jack the
Ripper captured lurid headlines and the public’s imagination, and the first
fictionalization of the Ripper killings, John Francis Brewer’sThe
Curse Upon Mitre Squareappeared in October
of 1888, mere weeks after the discovery of Jack’s first victim. Since then,
hundreds of stories have been written about Bloody Jack, his victims, and his
legacy. Authors ranging from Marie Belloc Lowndes to Robert Bloch to Harlan
Ellison to Roger Zelazny to Alan Moore have added their own tales to the Ripper
myth. Now, as we arrive at the quasquicentennial of the murders, we bring you a
few tales more.

From Word Horde and
the editor who brought youThe Book of CthulhuandThe Book of Cthulhu IIcomesTales of Jack the Ripper, featuring new and classic fiction by many of today’s darkest dreamers,
including Laird Barron, Ramsey Campbell, Ed Kurtz, Joe R. Lansdale, Joseph S.
Pulver, Sr., Stanley C. Sargent, E. Catherine Tobler, and many more.

“Whitechapel Autumn, 1888” by Ann K. Schwader“A
Host of Shadows” by Alan M. Clark and Gary A. Braunbeck“Jack’s
Little Friend” by Ramsey Campbell“Abandon
All Flesh” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia“God
of the Razor” by Joe R. Lansdale“The
Butcher, The Baker, The Candlestick Maker” by Ennis Drake“Ripping”
by Walter Greatshell“Something
About Dr. Tumblety” by Patrick Tumblety“The
Truffle Pig” by T.E. Grau“Ripperology”
by Orrin Grey“Hell
Broke Loose” by Ed Kurtz“Where
Have You Been All My Life?” by Edward Morris“Juliette’s
New Toy” by Joseph S. Pulver, Sr.“Villains
by Necessity” by Pete Rawlik“When
the Means Just Defy the End” by Stanley C. Sargent“A
Pretty for Polly” by Mercedes M. Yardley“Termination
Dust” by Laird Barron“Once
November” by E. Catherine Tobler“Silver
Kisses” by Ann K. Schwader